Path of Damnation: Broken Swords, Shattered Bonds

Vord stood atop a hill with his apprentice, Kaylish. They had already been to Stranglethorn Vale, and killed Kaylish's target with relative ease. Now there were back in the Plaguelands, planning on how best to take out Xylien.
Surely by now the Grin had heard he wasn't dead, Bellmont had contacts everywhere, Huizopotl communed with spirits all the time and would be able to find anyone should the need arise, and even Oroki would be able to commune with nature and find the taint that he left.

The question was, would the Grin deem him a threat big enough to send hard hitters? Or, more likely, would they just leave him here to rot in this godforsaken land?
The two orcs stood silently on the hill for a while, before Kaylish broke it. "So, have a plan yet? the Instructor doesn't like to be kept waiting." Vord sighed, "I don't see how we can get to the target without fighting the whole clan to get to her. The Grin doesn't just let two hostiles walk in and kill one of their officers, and she's got one of the best assassins I've ever seen wrapped around her little finger."
Kaylish looked at Vord, "What's this? Scared to fight? What could some mere mortals do to us? We rise should we fall, being cursed as we are by the Lich King."
Vord snapped at his apprentice, "And this is why Razuvious placed you under my tutelage, you have hubris. The Grin has some of the best fighters in this world. There's a reason why we survived the betrayal in Ironforge. We aren't pushovers, and won't sit idly by watching two Death Knights go on a rampage through the stand killing officers."
Kaylish takes off her helm, letting her glacier blue eye's bore into Vord, "Then tell me 'master', where do your loyalties lie?" Vord takes off his helm too, eye's showing death incarnate, "Who are you to question me?"
Kaylish drops a hand to her blade, "when you spoke of the Grin, you referred to them as 'we'. Still have some mote of a soul left?" Vord laughs, "Stay your blade, you know you can't beat me. And as for the Grin, they can rot in hell, since that's what they did to me."
Kaylish relaxed a bit, knowing full well that attacking her mentor would be futile. "So we need to bait them out and kill the target, is that what you're saying?" Vord nodded, "Exactly. If we choose when and where it happens, and catch them by surprise, victory is sure to be ours. But until we find the perfect bait, we stay here and guard the plaguelands."
Vord checked the horizon again, and seeing nothing of interest, returned to his plan, "Soon. Soon we will go out and kill with unbound passion and rage. Soon, we will be unstoppable and will burn our enemies cities and hovels down and claim their bones and flesh."

At that same time, in the Stand, a small conference takes place. Xylien walks up to pokes' desk, cracking her spine in place. "Ah, much better. Pokes, could I have a word with you?"
The troll looks up from some papers on his desk, maps, reports, deployment orders and the like. "Watchoo' be needin' Xylien?" Xylien shifted a little, "Has there been any word on Vord? He left quite a while ago and hasn't come back yet."
The troll showed no real emotion on his face, but shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Yah, dere be news oh 'im- 'es fallen."
Xylien stiffened, wearing a frown, "I told him I'd kick his ass if he died."
Bellmont stepped out from the shadows, "You're talking about that fool orc who decided to assault the halls of Naxxramas by himself again? He died a fool's death."
Pokes looks at the two undead, "Ah didn' say 'e was dead, jess fallen. Da spirits be tellin' me dat 'e lives, but 'is 'eart be closed tah me. If 'e was dead, 'de 'eart be open still." Xylien frowned even more, "So when are we going to hunt him down and make sure he stays dead?"
Bellmont looked sharply at Xylien, "Why should we send an officer out for one orc who was fool enough to try and walk into Naxxramas alone?"
Pokes looked at the two forsaken, thinking. "Dis not be summat we be leavin' tah fate."

Bellmont looks at the two officers as though they were mad. "We don't even know where he is right now." Pokes grabs a small bag at his side and opens it, pulling out a mushroom. "De spirits remembah de touch oh dem wot be damned." He pops the mushroom in his mouth, and hums a bit.
Oroki moves a bit closer to listen in a bit more on the discussion. Xylien sits down and waits as patiently as she can. Fifteen minutes later, pokes opens his eyes and sighs, "He be in de Plaguelands, but de spirits oh murdah be wid 'im. 'e' be 'untin' someone."
Xylien continues to stare at the troll. "You say it as though you know specifically who it is, you don't want to tell us."
The troll shrugs, "Ah read de spirits, not minds. But 'e's wont be givin' de welcome, grok?"

Xylien starts heading towards the door, "Then let's go and be done with it." Bellmont steps out of the shadows again, this time in from of Xylien, blocking her way. "I'm afraid I can't let you go. I've lost quite a bit, and i won't add you to the list. I've lead two full battalions against Naxxamas, and come back with just a half. I won't allow you to throw yourself away so frivolously"
Xylien looked at Bellmont, confused and touched at the same time. "It needs to be done, and we're not after Naxxramas, but Vord."
Bellmont shook his head slightly. "Why? Why make ourselves enemies of the Scourge for one orc? They are death incarnate. They won't stop until they kill every living thing, and wipe out what's left. I won't let you go alone just to meet the same end as the orc."
Hearing a shuffling noise behind her, Xylien looked away, towards he troll. "She aint goin' alone? Ah got blood debt tah collect." the troll said while looking at the tiger at his side. Oroki stands up, sighing. "I'll go too, you'll likely need a healer."
Bellmont look at the three officers, and stops at Xylien. "We have a war to fight here and you three are going to go after the orc? This is an unnecessary fight and will only make the Scourge take notice of us."
Oroki was the one to speak first, "We're always at war Bell, you should know that. And the Scourge has already taken steps against us."
Xylien took over, still staring at her mentor. "And now they have one of the Grin, one of us." Oroki took a step closer, "Who happens to know where we are and what we're doing." "And if he has turned on us, then he could give up the information very easily." insisted Xylien.
"Which makes him a very big threat to us." Oroki finished.

"This is madness, I won't let you march to your death so easily." Bellmont said. Xylien held up her hand in front of Bell's face and pointed to a finger. "See this? I still remember it Bellmont. And i've crawled out of the grave before."
Pokes walked out from behind his desk, "Enough. Xylien, gaddah joo weapons. Oroki, same. We be leavin'."
The two followed orders and walked out of the Stand with Pokes. Bellmont looked out at the three officers, and said his first prayer since the Second War.
But not for him, not for the orc that was surely past the point of redemption, but for Xylien.

((Writers note: Pokes troll speak may be shaky or non-existent due to my inability to write it in such fashion to keep Pokes in character. any editing by those who can would be greatly appreciated.))

Vord sighed, shaking himself from the illusion. "It's never going to happen, you know that." he thought to himself. "As long as you two are bound to Arthas, it won't happen."
A cold voice echoed in his head, the voice of his new master. "I see you still have some hope for the future.....we'll crush that in due time. But first, the time to prove yourself is nearing."
What could that mean? His target was sitting securely in the protective den of the Grin. He stood up and prepared to move out. "Whatever is coming, we'll crush it." he thought.

Kaylish looked up at her mentor, "What's happening?" Vord looked down at his apprentice, "Something or someone is coming. We're moving to a more advantageous location." Kaylish stood up and gathered herself. Vord felt something deep inside him stir, a warmth in the cold. He shook it off, dismissing it and starting off to nowhere in particular. He didn't know where he was going, but he'd know when he got there.

Minutes later, the two Death Knights arrived at a small plateau, an area with a small clearing with a few trees scattered here and there.
From the point, they could easily view the road and the riverbed, so whatever was heading their way couldn't possibly escape notice.
Vord relaxed as much as he could. It wasn't fear that gripped him, only a heightened sense of things.
He felt something stir in him, something that desperately wanted to cause fear, destruction, pain and death. He'd felt bloodlust before, he'd even been enraged to the point all he saw was red.
But this was more sinister, more cold and calculating than the bloodrage of orcs. This was just another part of his transformation.
He realized what he had become, and it didn't bother him much. "Yes, accept it." the voice said, "Let it fill you. You will become stronger than you could ever dream with those mortal fools. Now, go and kill. Kill in the name of the Scourge!"
Vord saw what the Lich King had foreseen, three members of the Grin. "I don't believe it Kaylish, they've just made our job much easier."

Pokes, Oroki and Xylien had been in the plaguelands for just a few hours. They had traveled west from the chapel where they had landed. They deviated from the roads a bit to avoid unnecessary fights with undead or scarlets. "Sometin's comin' dis way. Two oh dem.", said the troll.
Xylien stopped, "Is one of them Vord?" The troll nodded, still looking around to find exactly where the threat was.

"What are three officers doing all the way out here? Only death await those who venture here." The three officers turned toward the voice, and saw the two Death Knights on the edge of the plateau.
"Oh, you know, just looking at the sites," said Xylien with a grin, "Maybe bring back a few souvenirs, it's all the rage now."
Vord laughed, but did so without humor, "Ah Lady Xylien, still have the same sense of humor as always huh? And Huizopotl and Oroki as well. My my, I'm honored."
The troll looked at Vord, "Come down 'ere, less speak like brodahs."
Vord laughed again, this time showing some humor, "Brothers?" He took off his helm to show his haggard face, "Would a true brother let me rot as I did? I see through the lies now, and my brothers are dead."
The voice was ringing strong in his mind, "Yes, what did he do to help you? Where was he when you were captured and beaten?"
Vord grimaced, trying to keep control of his thoughts. "But, I have found a sister. This is Kaylish, and after I complete my mission, she will be my apprentice as she completes her remaining trials."
Xylien cocked an eyebrow, "And what would that mission be exactly?"
Vord grinned, showing the gap where a tooth is still missing, "Why, to kill you, Lady Xylien."
Pokes shuffled a bit, "We be seein' 'bout dat." And with that, the troll hurled a bolt of lightning at Kaylish.
Vord blocked the bolt with his left arm, the bolt blasting off his glove. "Ah, good thing I've lost feeling there, that would've hurt quite a bit. Do you see this?"
he rased his arm so the three could see the bite mark better, "This is the newest concoction from the Scourge. The apothecaries in Naxxramas just couldn't get enough of my wound. What do you think Oroki?"
The tauren gazed at the bite mark on his arm, and shuffled uncomfortably. "What bit you? That doesn't seem like an ordinary infection."
Vord smiled at the tauren, admiring her analytical skills, "It was a ghoul, and no, it's not a normal infection. The plague bringers had such a time studying this plague, as well as duplicati-"
"Enough!" the troll interjected. "Ah be done standin' 'ere and talkin'. We be 'ere on bidness, and it be time we get tah it." The troll hurls another bolt at the Death Knights, but is blocked again by Vord, this time with his serrated swords. "So impatient, can't you at least be grateful for the last pieces of information you'll ever hear?"
Xylien pulled Sul'thraze off her back, and whirled it around her head before bringing it into a fighting stance. "Pokes is right, the time for talk is over."

Vord looked at the three officers, all of whom had prepared to fight, "As you wish. Kaylish, you know what to do. Do not hesitate, show no mercy."
The smaller orc smiled, obviously already relishing the conflict. Pokes charged, with Stripes running along side him, Xylien charged as well, but heading for Vord, And the two Death Knights both started to intercept the shaman, while Oroki prepared to try to keep her comrades alive.

((Part three coming as soon.))

((and with this, i believe my usurpation of Bellmont as paragraphical overlord is complete. I'll let it sit in all it's glory for the weekend, then put it into sentences so it's more easily read.))

Pokes swings his axe down on Kaylish, while Xylien attempts to intercept Vord. Vord, realizing that to be separated meant death, blocks Xyliens attack, and starts his own on Pokes, knowing he was the strongest there. The two Death Knights forces Pokes to go on the defensive. Unable to block all the blows, he gains cuts and gashes from his enemies blades, but the wounds are quickly mended by Oroki, doing everything she can to keep up with the fight. Pokes jumped back, trying to gain distance between himself and the Death Knights. There was a small lull, as the four combatants thought for a few seconds on what to do next. Vord, looked at the two Grinners, "The small one," The voice in his head said, "She's the weaker of the two. Kill her, and you'll gain that advantage. If you keep fighting the troll, you'll fight to a standstill, and the druid will heal the other two and you will be defeated." Vord looked at Kaylish, then to Pokes. The female orc understood what she needed to do, and nodded. The two Death Knights split up, each heading towards their own target. Xylien got in a defensive stance, while Pokes prepared for round two. "So," said Vord, "You think you can match a Death Knight in single combat?" The small but ferocious warrior grinned, "Only one way to find out." She dashed forward in a charge, while Stripes came in from the side to aid the warrior. Vord sidesteps the blow, and sidekicks the tiger out of the fight. "See?" said the voice, "Look what at you've become. You don't need friends, brothers, sisters or pets, just your passion." Vord felt a small disturbance inside him, seeing the tiger being sent flying through the air had awoken something in him. Already, he could feel the cold and the disturbance fighting within him, battling for control. Vord dodged, parried, and blocked another set of strikes from Xylien, but returned them with a vengeance, and managed to disarm the warrior of her sword, so she had to fall back on her axe and shield. Oroki shifted her focus to Xylien, trying to aid the small warrior against the orc. Vord again noticed the druid, "Damn druid can't keep her nose out of things, something got to change about that." Vord felt the disturbance warm greatly, banishing more of the cold and bringing on a brief flashback, his sharning at the Stand, the raid on South Shore and his initiation into the Grin, days spent patrolling or camped in the wilderness with his newfound brethren. He fell to his knees, screaming in agonizing pain. The battle between the Lich King's grasp and Vord's own spirit had given him feeling in his left arm again, and he had felt no pain like it before. The pain lead the icy grasp to retake much of Vord's will, and the pain receded, but not before Xylien took advantage of the Death Knight's vulnerability. She swung her body in for a perfect roundhouse kick to the face, but Vord came to in time to catch the kick with his good arm, and returned with his left arm striking upward at Xyliens kicking knee, while shifting his weight to kick the other knee. She rolled back, trying to bleed off the blows, while Vord stood up and assessed the situation: Kaylish and Pokes were locked in a stalemate, both attacking and defending, but neither landing many blows, Oroki had already started on healing Xylien, trying to get her back in the fight as soon as possible. "This has gone on long enough, end it." said the voice, "END IT NOW!" Vord took a couple steps at good pace and stride, and leapt into the air, keeping his body up. "YOU DIE NOW, TROLL!" Kaylish saw her mentor flying through the air, and slammed into Pokes, knocking him off balance and joining the two in a mesh of limbs and flesh, making it hard to discern whcih one from which. Vord came down and slammed his right palm into the back of Pokes, striking a kidney. The mass ceased movement, the heaver fighter having been the one to receive the blow. Vord stood up, and turned slowly to face the now seemingly defenseless Oroki, "And then there was one...." Vord charged the Druid, and Xylien struggled to get to her feet and help her comrade. Vord closed in, preparing to dispatch the Tauren with one blow, but left himself open. Oroki planted a mighty kick to Vord chest, sending him flying back into a tree 20 feet away. Pokes stood up, "De Grin nevah be alone, and joo gone an' killed your 'apprentice'" Pokes hauled Kaylish off the ground, holding her by the top of the cape, showing the place where Vord had impaled her in the kidney, and swiftly slit her throat with a dagger. Xylien walked up to the other two and said, "I'd have thought you learned that." Pokes darted over, and grabbed Vord's left arm, while gathering lightning in his free hand. "Dis should eitha bring yah back, or kill yah. Eitha way, it'll work." and with that he sent all the lightning into Vord. His mind reeling from the shock, the cold took over. Vord "instinctively" dislocated his shoulder, breaking the largest contact of the electricity into his body, with the rest starting to revive the dead tissue and nerves. Pokes frowned, seeing the orc self-destructing. Vord bent, using his right arm to attack with the hidden blade, "THINK FAST, TROLL" Xylien stepped in to block the strike, and kicked the orc farther against another near by tree, "Thought faster." The blows had taken their toll, not only had he weakened, but the cold grip on his mind had too, it was just a matter of time when it would be broken. Xylien picked up her axe, and threw it, aiming to cut threw Vord's dead arm. It stopped after hitting bone. "Damn orc muscle," she said mostly to herself, "Of course the bones are dense enough to stop it alone" Vord had a searing thought burn in his mind, "Do you two still have the knives I gave you?" Pokes, becoming cemented in the thought of Vord being to far gone, said, "Yah mean dis?" He threw the kunai into Vord chest, burying itself in the orcs armor. Xylien, being a bit taken aback by the orcs question, kicked up her heel and caught the knife. She looked at it for a second, and then threw it, nailing Vords left hand to the tree. "Come Xylien, dis fool not be worth ah time, kill 'im." Vord chuckled, "You've been blasting lightning all over the place in a zombie infested area, and I'M the fool?" Pokes frowned and looked at Xylien, "Do it now, or ah'll do it m'self." The cold part of Vord's mind, lashing out in desperation, influenced him to pick up the knives with his free hand, and throw them back at their owners. Xylien blocked the knives, collecting them at the same time, and smashed her knee into Vord's chest, cracking a rib. The last blow had broken the cold grip on the orc's mind, freeing him. Vord looked around him, fully seeing what had occurred. "Oh no, what have I done?" Xylien stepped back, and looked down at the orc, "You've done some very stupid things, and I think i just broke my knee on your damn ribs." Sighing, Pokes steps forward, "Let's see what we can do abou' dis curse." Vord's eyes widened, Kaylish had risen from the plague in her, and had drawn a blade to kill Pokes with. Vord used the last of his strength to hurl himself at Kaylish, taking the blow. Xylien turned and cut the Death Knight down with a single strike and looked at Vord. The orc dropped to his knees, his vision fading, "Ouch......" he passed out. Xylien picked up the orc, "Damn he's heavy, let's get him back to the Hideout." The three Grin officers left with their prize, leaving the corpse of the Death Knight laying there on the ground.

Hours later, the plateau was relatively peaceful. Scorched spots from where the lightning had hit were scattered, the body of Kaylish was still lying there, motionless. A few death knights and necromancers, as well as Kel 'Thuzad approached the area. The death knights secured the plateau, wary of a trap, while Kel 'Thuzad and his necromancers investigated the scene.
"Master, this looks like shamanistic magic, as well as some druidic activity in the earth."
A death knight walked up, "There's evidence of a fight here, maybe five bodies involved. There's blood everywhere, but just one body, I believe her name is Kaylish. We also found this, it looks like a piece of armor from one of our knights, but it didn't come from her."

Kel 'Thuzad looked around him. The knight was right, there had been a fight here, but not a large scale one. He floated to Kaylish and said to the reporting knight,"You've found no other dead?" The knight shook his head, "No master, she is the only one we've found." Kel 'Thuzad thought for a moment, and said, "Tell Fenris he has a new apprentice. And that this time, he'd better take better care of my servants." The knight gave a short bow, "Yes master, I will relay the orders at once."

Kel 'Thuzad looked at the corpse in front of him, it'd be a waste to let a specimen like this go. He called forth a powerful spell, and used all his extensive knowledge in necromancy, and raised the fallen death knight. Kaylish stood up, looked around, and upon seeing Kel 'Thuzad, fell to one knee and said, "Master, I've failed you." The lich would've have smiled, had he any lips. "You completed your mission, and you were outnumbered. What else was I to expect? You have an incredible capacity for killing, but you can't beat the odds you were subjected to. However, there is something you must do for me."

The Knight on her knee looked up, "What must I do master?" Kel 'Thuzad waved his hand around, motioning to Kaylish to look around, "There is too much blood here to be from just you. If you had been alone, the damage done to you would've been irreversible. I need you to confirm something for me, where is your mentor? Where is Vord?" Kaylish bit her lip, "Three members of his old clan came. They managed to break the curse enough to allow him to betray us. I do not know what they've done with him, he helped them strike me down." The lich turned away from the kneeling death knight, "My master sensed that putting trust in him could have been a mistake, which is why we chose you to be paired with him. Vord.....was complex. He never showed his hand until it was too late, and it seems that he was able to fool all but the Lich King in the end. But, do not worry, we deal with all traitors in due time, for we have all eternity." Kaylish snarled, "I will kill him for what he has done. I will kill all of them, but it will be slow and painful."
The lich was overjoyed. He may have lost one prime death knight, but he just gained one that had nothing to loose. 'A fair trade I think.' he thought to himself. "Return to Naxxramas and report to Fenris, your new orders will come soon."

Kaylish stoop up, bowed, and started off to Naxxramas. For some reason she didn't quite understand, there was something that hurt inside her. It wasn't the injuries she had obtained in the fight, and she refused to believe it to be an emotion. She had seen so much, done so many thing, she must have destroyed her soul. But, it persisted. She thought back to the end of the fight, to where Vord had blocked her from killing the troll, to how he had caused her to be struck down. She felt another pang of pain, this one stronger than the last one. The voice of the Lich King filled her head, "Well well, now I know what's causing my subjects to rise up against me. I must say, it's a very powerful thing." She thought of one of the first things he had taught her, "There is no peace, there is passion. Passion can be anything. The passion to kill, the passion to save, even passion of another. All strong emotions can lead to passion, but the three that take you directly down this path are Hate, Fear, and Love."

For the first time in a long time, Kaylish was uncertain of what she would do. She knew that there was no going back for her, there was no one to help her. All that left, was the future, and in her eyes, the future was going to take her to Vord. She clenched her fists, 'I'm going to kill him and all of his insignificant little friends.' The voice again filled her head, "Yes, use your passion. He was right about that, and it will be his doom."